British companies are losing up to £1,000 a minute due to inefficient water use, a government quango has claimed. Envirowise says that the cost of waste water is comparable to pouring 40 bottles of champagne down the drain every 60 seconds. It claims that £507 million could be saved annually if UK firms took its advice and put in place efficiency measures to better use water. “Our research shows that many companies don’t view water as a resource, underestimating its value and the volumes they are using and disposing of on an annual basis,” said Envirowise director Dr Martin Gibson. Released to coincide with the beginning of Water at Work Week, Envirowise’s research claims that 1.3 billion cubic metres of water are being used in British businesses every year, and that this figure could be reduced by almost a third by taking simple water efficiency steps. “Water at Work Week is about raising awareness of this issue and helping UK businesses make substantial cost savings,” Dr Gibson continued. Envirowise claims to have already saved British firms more than £1 billion over the last 13 years.